HalfLife: The Incident
by TheComfortInBeingSad
Summary: This is my version of what happened in Black Mesa due to the experiment. It is set in the timeframe of the first game, and is very much like it.
1. Black Mesa Inbound

**HALF-LIFE: THE INCIDENT**

**The Half-Life franchise is the property of Sierra Studios. All rights are reserved to Sierra Studios.**

**I'm sorry to say that I haven't played _Opposed Force _or _Blue Shift_, so Adrian Shephard will not be appearing in this _Half-Life _story (until near the end), and I only know a few things about Barney Calhoun's adventure, so the rest is made up. Oh, and I created the ending to _Decay_ as well.**

**Chapter 1: Black Mesa Inbound**

The earth: home to so much beauty, and unfortunately soon to be home to so much carnage.

Somewhere in the New Mexican desert, U.S.A., there is a research facility where this carnage will begin. It is called Black Mesa.

Inside this vast underground facility, scientists research every conceivable scientific discipline. This story follows the adventures of unfortunate individuals, but it centres on one certain scientist.

His name is Gordon Freeman, and he is late.

**Level 3 Dormitories Tram Station**

Gordon skidded round a corner and ran full speed for the nearest inbound tram to sector C. The closer he got to it, the further its door closed. As he ran, he cursed his alarm clock – it had to break on this day, of all days. Today he was due in the test chamber to analyse a rare crystal for the administrator, the man who ran Black Mesa. He just managed to reach the tram in time, holding it open with his foot and jumping in.

As the door hissed close behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. There was nobody else on-board. Gordon decided to stand at the front by the door, so as to get out quicker when he stopped.

With a jolt, the tram left the station and began its journey into the heart of Black Mesa.

**Level 9 – Sector C Security Chamber**

6 levels below Gordon, two other scientists were due to help analyse the crystal – but unlike Gordon they were exactly on time.

Gina Cross and Colette Green stood waiting in the security chamber (already in their hazard suits) for the blast doors to open, allowing them to continue their journey to the anti-mass spectrometer's control room.

Suddenly the public announcement system beeped into life.

"DR. CROSS AND DR.GREEN – YOU ARE REQUIRED IN THE ANOMALOUS MATERIALS OPERATIONS CENTRE."

With a grating noise the thick metal bars against the door were retracted back into the wall, and the door opened. The two doctors stepped through onto a wide walkway. Looking down, there was only blackness. In front of them, a security guard waited to let them in.

"Good morning, Doctor - and Doctor," he said. "Looks like you two are right on time today. I think there's been some trouble with the system, so you may have been deleted from the security database. If you follow me to the door I can get you inside, where you can straighten it all out."

With this, the guard turned and began to walk along the catwalk towards the door. The doctors followed him.

"So I guess today's the big day, huh?" he continued. "The big guy was pretty excited when he came in earlier." The guard was probably referring to Dr. Rosenberg, the designer of the anti-mass spectrometer and who would monitor the experiment for the administrator, along with his associate, Dr. Keller. "He was talking about the new guy, Dr. Freeman. I just hope everything goes well today."

The guard turned a corner and walked towards the retinal scanner, beside the entry door. A sign beside the scanner read **SECURITY CLEARANCE: LEVEL 04**.

"All right," he said, "This should only take a second." He approached the scanner and placed his eyes in the insertion point. The scanning lasers read his retinas, bleeping as it found unique marks in the guard's eyes. After a few seconds, the door slid open. "There you go," said the guard. "See you after the experiment."

"Thank you," said Gina and Colette. As they stepped through the door, the public announcement system spoke again.

"WARNING," it said, "DO NOT DEACTIVATE CONTAINMENT FIELD."

The containment field kept anything that happened as a result of experiments in the chamber _in_ the chamber. If the anti-mass spectrometer exploded and there was no containment field, Gina thought, a lot more people would be injured or killed than just the poor person in the test chamber at the time.

**Level 3 - Tram #29703 (Inbound)**

The tram's daily recording - the voice of Doctor Gina Cross - chimed online in Gordon's tram as it left the station.

"Good morning," it said, "And welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System. This train is provided for the security and convenience of Black Mesa personnel."

Gordon ignored it. It was the same recording every day.

As he entered a tunnel on the tram-line he saw a security guard up ahead at the back door of security's HQ. He couldn't get in, and because of the lack of light in the tunnel was banging on the door with a lit torch.

Gordon felt sorry for the guard being trapped outside in the dark tunnel, but thoughts of sympathy quickly left his mind as he remembered how important this experiment must be – and how late he was.

"The time is – 8 - 37 a.m.," continued the recording. "Current topside temperature is - 83 - degrees, with an estimated high of - 105. The Black Mesa facility is kept at a pleasant 68 degrees at all times."

Gordon emerged from the tunnel and continued along the tram-line over a very, very long drop. On the left wall, scientists sat at work behind windows from floor to ceiling. Another scientist walked by on a walkway beside the tram. As the tram entered another tunnel, Gordon's mind was racing. Why had he been called so suddenly to conduct this experiment? And why was it so important that the administrator himself had to oversee it?

"This train is – inbound, from – level 3 dormitories to – Sector C Test Labs and Control Facilities."

The tunnel curved round, and the tram continued through another room where boxes and machinery parts were being carried about on ropes. As the tram slowed down to let a large box past, Gordon saw a large robotic yellow arm fixing a piece of machinery.

"If your intended destination is a high security facility in – Sector C, you will need to return to the Central Transit Hub in – Area 9, and board a high security train."

Through a short tunnel that curved to the right and out again into a rectangular room with an enormous missile hanging in the centre. A man in a forklift truck was speeding towards it with a black box.

"If you have not yet submitted your identity to the retinal clearance scan, you must report to Black Mesa personnel for processing, before you will be submitted into the high security branch of the transit system."

Gordon re-entered a tunnel, the tram taking a right towards a dead end. Just as it reached the wall, the floor opened up beneath it and a section of track rotated down the hole with the tram on top.

"Due to the high proximity of hazardous materials routinely handled in Black Mesa, no eating, smoking or drinking are permitted in the Black Mesa Transit System."

The tram had emerged into the open air – it was travelling vertically down a small canyon. When it reached the bottom, it connected with more track, and Gordon's journey continued into a small rock tunnel, lit with red lights.

"Please keep your limbs inside the train at all times. Do not attempt to leave the train until it has come to a complete halt, and the door has opened at a station platform. In the event of an emergency, passengers are to remain seated and await further instructions. If it is necessary to exit the train, disabled personnel should be evacuated first. Please stay away from electrified rails, and continue to an emergency station until help arrives."

The rock tunnel ended, and the tram continued its journey, suspended above and to the left of a helipad. A helicopter sat ready for take-off, its rotors buzzing, as a guard stood to attention beside its door and a scientist boarded it.

The tram re-entered a rock tunnel, curving again to the right and stopping in a large metal-walled room as a pair of large grates slid open before it. An enormous circular gate split into four and a section of track emerged to join onto theirs. Shortly afterwards the tram continued onwards to Sector C.

**Area 3 Security Facilities**

Barney Calhoun had heard of bad luck, but this was ridiculous. Upon waking up, he had realised that he had overslept and forgotten his locker's combination. After he had ran all the way back through the security guard dormitories to his room to get it, his gun had nearly went off in his face as he took it from his locker along with his uniform, torch, key card and identification card. He changed out of his civilian clothes and into his blue overalls, black boots, light blue helmet, and black body armour, strapped his gun into its holster on his hip, clipped his identity card to his breast-pocket and marched across the scorching desert to the guard's entrance. Only when he got there did he realise that his identity card had fallen off, forcing him to search desperately for it in the blazing-hot sand.

Once he was inside, he sprinted for the nearest tram station, just in time to observe his usual tram leaving the station. After waiting for another 10 minutes, he had ridden another tram to the Security HQ's back entrance, where he was now.

In the darkness of the tunnel in which the door was set, Barney felt around for his key card's slot. When this didn't work, he took his torch from one of his pockets to help him. When he eventually found it, he inserted his card, but nothing happened. He tried again and again, but the door refused to open. In frustration, he banged his torch on the door. As he did this, he felt someone on a passing tram staring at him. A few moments later there were two beeps on the other side of the door, and it slid open to reveal the face of Barney's friend, Dave.

"Sorry, buddy," said Dave, grinning. "There's been some sort of system crash. That's probably why your key card isn't working."

"It's fine," said Barney as he entered the dimly lit corridor. "No harm done." He turned to Dave. "So, where are you stationed today?" he asked.

"Sector C – operations centre," Dave replied.

Barney grimaced jokingly. Sector C was one of the few facilities in Black Mesa that only certain guards knew about. Who knew what happened in there? Then again, who really knew what happened _anywhere_ in Black Mesa? Sector C was just slightly more mysterious than the other sectors.

"Right," said Barney, "I better see where I'm headed today. You coming?"

"No, I'd much rather stand at this door for the rest of the day in a near pitch-black fucking corridor," replied Dave.

The two guards stared at each other silently for several seconds before they burst out laughing. "Don't try and be sarcastic," said Barney. "It's painful to watch."

The two security guards walked up the corridor until it branched off to the left. They walked along it, turned right, and after Dave had inserted his key card in a slot a door opened in front of them and they walked into the Black Mesa Security HQ lobby.

Barney and Dave had come out to one side of a long, curving black marble desk at which a guard sat typing into a computer. There was a large window set into the roof, and row upon row of food courts, gyms, recreation rooms and so on rose up to it on three sides. Off-duty guards were chatting all over the lobby, and the one behind the desk called Barney over.

"Well, I guess I'd better be going," said Dave. He suddenly impersonated a black gangster. "See you around, motherfucker!"

"Whatever you say, asshole," Barney replied. Dave grinned and disappeared through a pair of open double-doors towards the Security HQ's tram station. Barney waved after him, and then walked over to the desk.

The duty officer behind the computer, whose name was Henderson, turned to yell at Barney.

"Where the hell have you _been_, Calhoun?" shouted Henderson. "You were due down here 20 minutes ago!"

"I'm sorry, sir," said Barney. "I'm not having a very good day."

"Let's see where you'll be going, then," said Henderson. He began to type into his computer. "Calhoun…Calhoun…ah! Here we are! Apparently you're down in Sector C – Anomalous Materials Laboratory. But before you go, you're to head over to Sector G. There's an elevator that needs fixing."

"But sir, that's a maintenance workers job! Can't I just head over to Sector C now?"

"Are you questioning me, Calhoun?" growled Henderson, and Barney fell silent almost immediately. Henderson was not the sort of person anyone wanted to get into an argument with.

"No, sir," said Calhoun. Walking away, he swore quietly under his breath. Normally, he wouldn't have minded a little extra work – but fixing an elevator! No doubt it would be packed with whining scientists – and that was all he needed. He walked through a door marked SECTOR G in green letters, never to return again.

**Level 5 - Tram #44367 (Outbound)**

A man in a black suit sat in a public tram, typing into his laptop propped on his lap. The only other passenger, a scientist, was staring at him, but the man in the suit ignored him. He was here today to report on a scientist headed for Sector C.

He began his report.

SUBJECT:

Gordon Freeman

Male, Age 27

EDUCATION:

Ph.D., MIT, Theoretical Physics

POSITION:

Research Associate

ASSIGNMENT:

Anomalous Materials Laboratory

CLEARANCE:

Level 3

ADMINISTRATIVE SPONSOR:

Classified

DISASTER RESPONSE PRIORITY:

Discretionary

The man looked up and realised he had reached his destination. There was a toxic spill on Gordon Freeman's route, so the man in the suit could view the subject before the Incident. He should be coming into sight right about…now.

**Level 5 - Tram #29703 (Inbound)**

Gordon swore as he saw that there had been a toxic waste spillage up ahead – this would hold him back even further. Throughout the remainder of his journey up until this moment, the tram's recording had continued to talk about events taking place in Black Mesa and how you could get your relatives and friends to join up.

As his tram slowed to allow a maintenance-bot to pass, Gordon turned and met eyes with a man in a black suit watching him from a tram passing in the other direction.

Something about this man frightened Gordon. He was just standing there, holding his briefcase with his right hand, his eyes boring into Gordon's. As his tram stopped, he adjusted his tie and brushed some dust from his suit, their eyes still locked.

Then as quickly as it had happened, it was over. Both trams accelerated in different directions and Gordon's flew into a tunnel, causing him to lose sight of the man immediately.

"Regular check-ups are a requirement of – continued employment in the Black Mesa facility," continued the voice of Gina Cross. "If you have not attended your monthly check-up, you must report to Black Mesa medical facilities at once. Work safe, work smart – your future depends on it."

Gordon's tram continued along the enormous tunnel until he turned left, and could see a cavernous room up ahead.

"Now arriving at – Sector C Test Labs and Control Facilities."

The tram drew alongside a walkway jutting out over the abyss. In the wall from which the walkway emerged, Gordon could see a security chamber door. A security guard began to walk towards him from it.

"Please stand back from the automated door for the security officer to verify your identity. Before exiting the train, be sure to check your area for personal belongings. Goodbye, and have a very safe and productive day." There was a short crackling sound, and the recording stopped.

The guard walked over to the door of the tram. "'Morning, Mr. Freeman," he said. "Looks like you're running late." He crouched to type a code into the tram's door's keypad. Four beeps emitted from it, a green light blinked on in a corner of the tram and with a hiss the door slid open.

Gordon stepped out onto the walkway, trying not to look down. The guard was just smiling at him. Maybe guards got used to it, Gordon thought. No matter how many times he came down here, he certainly didn't.

The guard walked towards the chamber door, Gordon following. He was trying not to think of his unnerving sighting of the man in the suit.

When they reached the door, the guard walked over to a computer built into the wall to the left. He hit four buttons, each one beeping as he pressed it. Echoing through from the other side came five beeps.

There was a grinding noise, and the door's bars slid back into the wall, and the door shot open.

As Gordon stepped into the chamber, he looked back at the friendly guard and the stationary tram at the end of the walkway. He knew as soon as he was inside the door would close automatically and he would be on his way to the test chamber. But something was screaming at him to go back, to leave Black Mesa altogether and let the administrator find someone else for the experiment. Gordon shook all of those thoughts from his head. It was probably his encounter with the man in the other tram that was making him feel this way, he told himself.

He walked into the chamber, sealing the doors – and sealing his fate.


	2. Anomalous Materials

**HALF-LIFE: THE INCIDENT**

**The Half-Life franchise is the property of Sierra Studios. All rights are reserved to Sierra Studios.**

**Chapter 2: Anomalous Materials**

**Levels 8-9 (Sector C) Elevator**

Gina and Colette stood in the lift, waiting for it to rise to the 8th floor and allowing them to talk with Dr. Keller. A few minutes ago they had taken part in a scan to re-register them into the security database. They had then passed through a guarded door and down a corridor into the lift. Halfway through the scan the public announcement system had declared that Gordon Freeman was due in the anomalous materials laboratory. Dr. Freeman must have pissed off somebody pretty important for them to use the P.A. system, Gina thought.

There was a ping and the doors slid open on Level 8. Colette stepped out first, but as Gina did the same something caught her eye through the lift's transparent walls and she stopped.

The lift shaft they had just come up was quite large, and so could fit 3 elevators in a triangle formation. On Gina's left, a man was boarding a lift. Something about this man intrigued Gina. He wore a black suit and tie with a white shirt underneath and as he entered he was closing his briefcase. Gina wondered what he was doing down here in Sector C. As he stepped in, the doors closed and his elevator began to descend. Gina watched him until he was out of sight – just as he opened his briefcase - and then ran to catch up with Colette.

"What kept you?" asked Colette.

"Nothing," Gina replied, "I just…" and Gina explained what she had seen.

Colette thought for a moment. "Maybe it was the administrator?"

Gina shook her head. "I don't think so. The administrator would never come down here."

Colette smiled. "Whoever it is, he'll have to wait. We've got an anti-mass spectrometer to run!"

As they walked down the corridor, Gina thought back to how they had both met at university 4 years ago. There was a slight age difference – Gina was 31, while Colette was 37 – but they had both gotten lost one day and helped each other find there way around. They became close friends, and at the end of the year both left with a Ph.D. – Gina had one in applied physics, while Colette's was for electrical engineering. Shortly afterwards, they had applied for a job in Black Mesa Research Facility, and here they were.

The two scientists went around the corner, through a cylindrical corridor, past 2 generators humming loudly and stopped at a guarded door. The guard checked their passes and let them through. As they walked down another corridor, they passed the data chamber where all the supercomputers were kept. A team of at least three scientists monitored them at all times, as they were doing now. After they passed the data chamber, they stepped through another pair of doors, passed the data chamber door and a scanning chamber to their lefts and at the end of the narrow corridor walked through another door into the control room.

**Level 5 (Sector C) Security Chamber**

Gordon waited anxiously for the doors to open, silently worrying about the upcoming experiment. The noise of the bars sliding back into the walls surprised him, but as soon as the doors opened he walked into Sector C's Level 3 Lobby immediately.

The lobby was not very impressive. There were a bank of computer screens on the left wall and a corridor on his right-hand side leading further into Sector C. There was a desk in front of him, where a guard and scientist were working at a computer and on the wall behind them there was a map of the world. A scientist was looking at the computer screens while another walked off down the corridor.

He approached the desk as the scientist and guard were halfway through a conversation.

"Most of the simulation results were pretty acceptable, you know?" the scientist was saying.

They both looked up and ended their conversation abruptly as Gordon approached.

"Hey, Mr. Freeman," said the guard. "I had a bunch of messages for you, but we've had a system crash about 20 minutes ago and I'm still trying to find my files. Just one of those days, I guess.

They were having some problems down in the test chamber too, but I think that's all straightened out. They told me to make sure you headed down there as soon as you got into your hazard suit."

"Right - thanks," said Gordon, and ran off down the corridor. As he ran, Gordon thought himself lucky for constantly travelling to Sector A in his spare time, or he would be even later for the experiment than he already was. Sector A was the Black Mesa Training Facility, where scientists as well as guards kept fit by jumping, running, and swimming. Sector A also taught you how to get used to your Hazard Suit, use the special long jump booster (Hazard Suits only) and how to target, fire and reload a variety of weapons. The way Gordon saw it, it was the only fun thing to do in Black Mesa.

**Level 3 (Sector G) Elevator #44786**

As Barney neared the elevator, he noticed two scientists and a guard waiting in it for him. All guards were taught to respect scientists, but once the guards had found out how obnoxious they all were they pretty much forgot all about it. Most of the time Barney felt the same way, but he decided to be nice today, so that he could see Dave sooner. Barney stepped inside the lift and cleared his throat, so that everyone inside turned to look at him.

"Good morning, gentlemen," he said. "There seems to be a problem with this elevator, but if you would kindly wait another 5 minutes or so then I'm sure I'll have it up and running again." As he turned to prise open the control panel, he heard a balding scientist say to him, "Anyone could have realised there was a problem with the elevator, you nincompoop!" but Barney ignored him.

Barney saw the problem as soon as the control panel was off. A red wire had melted that connected the buttons to whatever got the lift moving. Probably an electrical surge, he thought.

"Hey!" said the guard at the back. "I'm sorry you had to come down here pal, but I had no idea how to fix this thing."

Barney shook his head. Typical, he thought. The only person that knew how to fix an elevator had to be on the other side of the facility.

10 minutes later, and tempers were fraying. All of the scientists were now late for whatever they were taking the lift to get to, and Barney had found a bigger problem. The front of the box that supplied electricity to the elevator had come off with the heat, and several wires had snapped. Barney was on his knees with his sleeves rolled up, and had one arm up through the gap left by the control panel fixing the power box. His arm was cut and covered in oil and he had been electrocuted 5 times.

The balding scientist was angry too. He began to shout things at Barney, like, "Are you _trying_ to make us late? We shouldn't have to suffer with you!" and "I could discover another species faster than you can fix a lift," and Barney just gritted his teeth and struggled on. But when the scientist said, "For God's sake, hurry up, you idiot! Some of us have _real_ jobs to get to!" he stood up, spun around, threw down his spanner and shouted, "Oh yeah! You don't think saving your ass is a _real_ job?"

"What are you doing?" said the scientist. "Get back to work, you twit!"

"You scientists treat us like shit, but you'll be sorry when one of your experiments goes wrong and you're running for your life!"

"Um, excuse me," said a scientist at the back. "I have a really important meeting to get to, so –"

"Shut up!" shouted Barney and the scientist in unison.

"I know that you have to follow strict rules if you're a security guard," said the scientist icily, "One of which is to respect research personnel. So unless you want a complaint filed against your name, I suggest you get back to work."

Barney and the scientist glared at each other, but Barney knew he was right. All security personnel must behave perfectly – the slightest wrong move could get them fired. After a while he knelt down and continued his work on the lift.

**Level 5 (Sector C) Outside Lobby**

Gordon ran down the corridor so quickly he missed the sign directing him to the personnel facilities, where he would don his hazard suit. He stopped when he realized he didn't recognize any of his surroundings, and remembered he should have followed the green line across the wall. He had ran aimlessly down the corridor and was now outside Sector B. As he turned to leave, he caught sight of someone familiar.

No. It couldn't be. It was _impossible_.

It was the man in the black suit. If he wasn't behind a window Gordon would have reached out and touched him to see if he was real. How could he have gotten from a tram moving in the opposite direction of Gordon's and still turn up here? It was absurd.

He realised that the man was arguing with somebody. Pretending to tie his shoelaces, Gordon bent down by the window and peered inside, to see that this man was having a heated discussion with a scientist. Gordon listened closely, trying to hear what they were saying.

"We must begin!" the scientist was saying.

"No." This was the man now. "We should not let the system commence."

"The experiment must not be delayed!" said the scientist.

"You're a scientist, and a fraud." said the man. "Back off."

With a jolt Gordon realised they were talking about him. Why did this man want _him_ in the test chamber so desperately?

But there was no time to stop and think. This just helped prove how late Gordon was. Hurriedly he stood up and, with one final look back at this mysterious man in the black suit, ran in the direction of the personnel facilities.

Shortly afterwards Gordon was in the personnel facilities, which comprised of lockers, toilets, sinks and three hazard suit tubes.

A scientist waved hello to him, but Gordon ignored him and ran to the hazard suits. As he got there, he found that there was only one left – the yellow one in the middle. The other two were probably being used by the other scientists in the Operations Centre, he thought.

He hit the button for the yellow one's tube and it slowly hissed open. He ran down from the balcony and after another 10 minutes managed to get the entire thing on.

A hazard suit is what scientists use when they work in dangerous scenarios. It can sustain a major blast or electrical discharge that can kill an unprotected person. As soon as the suit was on, its computer voice spoke from inside Gordon's helmet.

"Welcome – to your H.E.V. – suit. For use in hazardous – environment – experiments. Atmospheric contamination sensors – activated. Vital signs monitor – activated. Automatic medical systems – engaged. Weapons selection system – activated. Subject health monitoring – activated. Communications interface – online. Have a very – safe – day."

Next Gordon ran back into the locker room and into his locker, containing his certificate of outstanding achievement, a picture of his nephew, a few post-it notes, a mug and flask, a couple of books on theoretical physics, a blue suit and an H.E.V. power kit. Gordon used the power kit by connecting it via a tube to his suit and ran back out of the personnel facilities.

Gordon ran full speed for the test chamber, following the blue line marked 'Anom. Mat. Labs. – DEVELOPMENT' along walls. He rounded a corner and found a guard standing beside a retinal scanner. The guard looked up, saw Gordon and immediately placed his eyes in the scanner.

"Go right on through, sir," he said. "Looks like you're in the barrel today."

What the guard meant by 'barrel' was the test chamber. Before Black Mesa was turned into a research facility the test chamber had been an old missile silo.

The doors ahead of Gordon opened and he ran on, through a corridor with pictures showing maintenance bots, trams and scientists, telling every passer-by to 'work as a team'. Gordon ignored all of this and ran on until he came to an elevator. He pushed the button to open the doors, walked inside and then pushed another button, causing the elevator to descend a level.

When it stopped, the doors opened as he approached them so he continued running, taking a right and going through a pair of doors before stopping again.

On the left wall was a set of coloured lines like the ones upstairs. Gordon followed the yellow and green lines, marked 'Control Room' and 'Test Lab Access'. As Gordon ran down another corridor, he noticed thick pipes with the word 'LASERS' printed on it down one side. He passed by the Ionization Chambers before running down a smaller corridor, through a door and stopped. He was in the control room.

**Level 8 (Sector C) Test Laboratory Control Room**

The room had machinery everywhere. Computers along the walls, screens on the roof and a small semi-circle of controls around a disabled man in the middle of the room. He turned to meet them as he came in. "Ah, good morning, Doctors," he said.

Dr. Keller was 55 years old with grizzly white hair, and had worked at Black Mesa for 13 years, obtaining Level 5 security clearance. At present, he was assigned to monitor the doctors while they operated the anti-mass spectrometer.

"At least someone is on time today," he said. "Dr. Freeman is running late – _again_. Honestly, I do not know what Kleiner sees in that boy.

Anyway, let's get started. When Dr. Freeman is ready upstairs they'll want to begin the experiment, so you'll have to retrieve the sample Dr. Cross – and I'll let Dr. Green operate the - "

"Dr. Keller!" said a voice behind them, making Gina and Colette jump. They turned to see Dr. Rosenberg walking towards them. They had been so busy listening to Dr. Keller that they had not heard the _ping_ as the elevator doors opened behind them.

"Ah, hello Dr. Rosenberg. We're sort of in the _middle_ of something right now."

"I've been talking to Harold," said Dr. Rosenberg, ignoring Keller's last remark. "He seems to be under the impression that you intend on running the anti-mass spectrometer at over 90. You realise there is a reason for the safety buffer."

"I understand your concern, Doctor, but the Administrator was quite firm -"

"The Administrator is a bureaucrat, not a scientist!" shouted Rosenberg angrily. "I did not design this equipment to be run at such high intensity."

"This is not your decision," said Keller calmly. "Now if you wish to stay and monitor the experiment then so be it – otherwise, you can go back to your _little_ _labs_ above the train yards."

With this, Dr. Keller turned and pressed a button on the controls. A keyboard popped out and he began typing into it. "Dr. Cross," he said, "The sample storage area is through the door – here."

On queue, a door on the other side of the room slid open, revealing a scanning chamber like the one they had passed on the way in. Without hesitation, Gina entered the chamber and the door slid shut behind her. "Dr. Green, we need you in the test laboratory." He turned around to face her. "We'll monitor the experiment from in here." Dr. Green nodded and left the room, entering the other scanning chamber they had passed.

When Gina had been scanned out the other side of the chamber, Dr. Keller turned to his associate. "You worry too much, Dr. Rosenberg," he said. "Nothing will go wrong."

**Level 3 (Sector G) Elevator #44786**

Barney breathed a sigh of relief as he re-connected the last wire. He freed his arm from the shaft, stood up and began to fix the control panel back into place.

"Finally," said the annoying scientist, whose identity card said his name was Arthur Grahams.

"Right," said Barney, as he put his sleeves back down, "Which way are we going?" He figured that it would save him time taking this lift down to Level 8 instead of finding another one to do the same thing.

"Well," said the scientist at the back, "I'm really very late for my meeting by now, but if we hurry I can catch the end of it."

"That's stupid," said Grahams. "Why should we all do what _you_ say?"

"Because he's polite," said Barney. Grahams grumbled inaudibly.

Barney hit the button for Level 8. The lift doors closed and the group started to descend. "Going down," he said grimly.

**Level 6 (Sector C) Test Chamber Control Room**

Gordon looked around. Important-looking machinery lined the walls. There was a door with a retinal scanner beside it on the other side of the room and a slit in the wall so that observers could watch what was happening in the test chamber. Gordon noticed three scientists facing him in the middle of the room. As he approached them, the first one began to spoke.

"Ah, Gordon," he said, "There you are. We've just sent the sample down to the test chamber."

"We've boosted the anti-mass spectrometer to 105," said the second one. "It's a bit of a gamble, but we need the extra resolution." He didn't look too sure.

"The administrator is very concerned that we get a conclusive analysis of today's sample," said the third scientist. "I gather they went to some length to get it."

The first one spoke again. "They're waiting for you, Gordon. In the test chamber."

The second scientist walked over to the retinal scanner and opened the door for him. Gordon looked back into the test chamber before running out of the room.

Outside of the Control Room, Gordon turned right to inspect the plasma cells. These were microscopic atoms generating enormous amounts of visible electricity – One in each study tube. The three tubes had hundreds of tiny lightning bolts dancing around inside them.

As Gordon walked towards a 2-floor lift, part of a wall-sized control panel exploded. 2 scientists rushed over to it.

"It's about to go critical!" cried the first one, an old, white-haired man.

The second scientist, black in his mid-forties, pressed a few buttons in an attempt to shut down the controls.

"What the hell is wrong with our equipment?" he cried.

Gordon wanted to help, but right now he was due in the test chamber. He rushed over to the lift and pressed the button for it to rise to his level. The doors opened and he stepped inside, pressing the DOWN button at the same time. The lift descended and he stepped out on the 7th floor. He ran along a corridor with banks of machinery along the left wall before stepping through a door marked TEST LAB into a security chamber. The door shut behind him.

Another 2 scientists stood in this room. One looked identical to the white-haired man upstairs, while the other was nervous-looking, with short black hair. They both looked up when they noticed him standing there.

"I'm afraid we'll be deviating a bit from standard analysis procedure today, Gordon," said black-hair.

"Yes, but with good _reason_," said white-hair. "This is a rare opportunity for us – this is the purest sample we've seen yet."

"And, potentially, the most unstable," replied black-hair.

"Now, now, if we follow standard insertion procedures, everything will be fine," said white-hair.

"I don't know how you can say _that_," black-hair said. "Although I will admit that the probability of a resonance cascade scenario is _extremely_ un-"

"Gordon doesn't need to hear all of this, he's a highly trained professional!" shouted white-hair angrily. "We've assured the administrator that _nothing will go wrong?_"

This assurance didn't mean much to Gordon. He only had enough clearance to put things in the anti-mass spectrometer, not to know what they were or where they came from.

"Ah, yes," black-hair sighed, "You're right. Gordon, we have complete confidence in you."

"Well, go ahead. Let's let him in now," white-hair said.

As the two scientists approached two retinal scanners on opposite walls, Gordon began to wonder if this experiment was such a good idea. All these scientists had so many doubts about it. Still, he had come this far. It wasn't like him to back down.

Gordon was jerked out of thoughts when the security door shot open. Taking a deep breath, he strode into the test chamber. The security door slammed shut behind him.

**Level 8 (Sector C) Anomalous Materials Operations Centre**

Gina walked down the U-stairs and into a wide corridor. There were 2 doors on her left – one was a large red blast door with the words SECURE ACCESS on it and the other was a security door with a large arrow pointing to it with TEST LAB printed on it. Gina walked past these, towards another security door at the end of the corridor. It opened as she approached it. She stepped through into another corridor that bent to the left. In front of her was a long window, with a scientist behind it. As she walked through, the door shut behind her.

"It's good to see you," the scientist said. "If you would be so kind as to push the sample into the lift, we can start the experiment." As he spoke, a cage to Gina's left shot open.

"Thanks," said Gina. She walked down the rest of the corridor until she reached a large yellow metal wall at the end. She pressed the only button on it, a grey-coloured one with an up arrow on it. Behind her, a panel in the floor slid open and the delivery cart rose to her level, the sample in its arms.

Gina took a moment to admire the crystal. It was a bright golden colour, and she could see her reflection on it. But then she remembered that Gordon was expecting his sample soon. Using the handles, she pushed it back up the corridor and into the lift.

Meanwhile, Colette stepped out of the scanning chamber into a small room. A sign on the wall read CAUTION – HIGH RADIATION AREA. As she approached the door to the test lab, she nearly tripped over a crowbar lying in front of her. Someone must have forgotten to take it with them when they left, Colette thought. She picked it up and entered the test lab.

On her right, a ramp led down to the anti-mass spectrometer which, a level below Gordon, was just a large yellow cylinder which emerged from the roof and continued through the floor. The ramp connected with a circular walkway, which went around the machine a few metres above the ground. A wider metal deck formed a semi-circle around the machine at ground level. Finally, a few feet above Colette's head, steel diamond shapes were attached to the wall near the ceiling. There were also three small cones protruding from the roof in a triangle shape around the spectrometer.

As Colette walked down the ramp, a radio somewhere crackled to life, and a scientist spoke.

"We'd like you to bring the anti-mass spectrometer online and bring it up to…80," he said. Colette followed her instructions. She walked round to the other side of the machine and pulled a lever that had POWER printed above it. Then she continued round to its left side and using a dial turned it up to 80. "Ah, excellent," the scientist said. "Everything is on schedule, and the experiment will be starting shortly. I'll put the loudspeaker on so that you can hear what's happening upstairs."

Colette sat on the handrail and listened to the speaker. Standard procedure stated that even if you are finished what you are doing, you are to wait where you are until the experiment is over.

Colette looked around the chamber. This experiment was easier than she had thought.

**Levels 6-7 (Sector G) Elevator #44786**

"What was that?" squeaked Grahams nervously.

"What was what?" asked a weary Barney.

"That grinding noise," replied Grahams. "Surely you must have heard it."

"Look, Grahams, if you're trying to-"

Barney was cut off by another, louder, grinding noise. The elevator shuddered slightly, and came to a halt.

There was a silence. Then Barney said, "Oh, shit."

**Level 7 (Sector C) Test Chamber**

The test chamber was massive.

The anti-mass spectrometer was just as massive. It dominated the room, consisting of two parts.

The top part, which hung from the ceiling, looked like a squashed silver cylinder, with metal girders around it. Three grey spheres hovered in mid-air around this. An even larger beige sphere was connected to the bottom of the top part, in the middle, pointing directly at the bottom of the machine.

The bottom was just a large metal ring, up to Gordon's knees, with large mechanical arms pointing to the test chamber's roof on three sides. On the fourth side was an opening for the sample to be placed in the machine.

A steel cage was fixed against the wall on a track leading from it to the opening in the anti-mass spectrometer. There was also a platform (only reachable by a ladder, level to the top of the machine) with controls on it to Gordon's right, and three gigantic cables went from floor to ceiling.

On the far side of the chamber was a raised platform with steps leading up to it. Gordon climbed the steps and turned to face the control room window, awaiting instructions.

After a few seconds, the test chamber's speakers crackled to life, and the third scientist spoke. "Testing, testing…" he coughed a few times into, making sure he was heard. "Everything seems to be in order…" His voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"All right, Gordon, your suit should keep you comfortable through all this. The specimen shall be delivered to you in a few moments. If you would be so kind as to climb up that ladder and start the _rotors_, we can bring the anti-mass spectrometer up to 105 and hold it there until the carrier arrives."

Without hesitation, Gordon ran for the ladder and began to climb. This whole experiment was worrying, and he wanted to be back out of the test chamber as soon as possible.

Gordon hauled himself up onto the platform and walked along to the controls. There was a yellow button under a red plastic covering – he flipped open the covering and pressed the button.

Almost at once, the grey cylinder part of the machine began to rotate very quickly with a loud humming noise.

**Level 8 (Sector C) Anomalous Materials Operations Centre**

The lift rose…and came back down. Then it rose again…and came back down.

Gina looked at the scientist, who pressed a few buttons. "This shouldn't be happening," he said worriedly. He pressed a few more buttons and frowned. "Theoretically, this is impossible!" he continued. "Hmmm…right. Something must be jammed. See if there's anything interfering with the lift machinery in the test lab below. I'll keep trying to operate the lift from here."

Behind Gina, the security door she had come in through opened again. She walked back out and through the door marked TEST LAB.

As Colette saw Gina walk in, she heard the second scientist over the loudspeaker say, "Power to stage 1 emitters in 3…2…1…" The anti-mass spectrometer emitted a loud humming noise. "I'm seeing predictable phase arrays…" the scientist continued.

"Hey!" Colette yelled, over the noise of the machine. "Gina! Up here!" Gina looked up and saw Colette waving at her. She smiled and waved back. "What are you doing in here?" she shouted.

"Something's up with the lift," Gina shouted back. "The scientist said something might be jamming it in here."

Colette nodded and sat back down, just as the scientist upstairs said, "Stage 2 emitters activating…now."

As Colette watched, the cones in the roof started to revolve around the machine. The diamond shapes began to shoot yellow lightning bolts at the cones, and as soon as one was out of range, it connected to the next one.

Below Colette, Gina walked over to a panel in the wall, which slid open for her as she approached. The jam was obvious as soon as the panel was fully opened – a crowbar was wedged in between two gears, preventing the lift from rising.

Gina braced herself against the wall and pulled on the crowbar. After a few seconds, it slid out, and a large metal pole ran between the two gears and kept on going.

Gina called up to Colette. "I fixed it!"

Colette stood up and looked down at her. "Good job!" she shouted back. "Now all we have to do is wait for Gordon to finish!"

**Level 7 (Sector C) Test Chamber**

"Gordon, we cannot predict how long the system can operate at this level, nor how long a reading will take, so please work as quickly as you can," said the third scientist. By now, electricity was travelling from the spheres to the beige one and the machine – one powerful bolt of lightning went straight from the beige sphere into the analysis chamber at the bottom.

The second scientist spoke again. "Charging capacitors to 105." When he spoke again, he sounded nervous.

"Uh, it's probably not a problem – probably - but I'm showing a slight discrepancy…well, no, it's well within experiment parameters. Sustaining sequence."

Red lights began to flash on top of the cage. "I've just been informed that the sample is ready, Gordon. Look to the delivery chute for your specimen."

As he spoke, the ground in the cage slid into the wall and the cage itself retracted into the ground as the sample arrived on the delivery cart.

It was hard to miss the large yellow crystal held in the cart's arms. Gordon had never seen such a perfect crystalline sample before.

As he gripped the handles, he realised this was the time for any last-minute doubts to stop him from going forward with the experiment. Yes, he was uneasy, but the quicker the experiment was over and done with the quicker he would be out of here. His good friend Dr. Kleiner had gotten him this job, and he wasn't going to disappoint him. Anyway, hadn't the scientist outside said that nothing will go wrong?

All doubts cast aside, he pushed the sample towards the analysis chamber.

**Topside (Sector D) Administrator's Office**

And on the surface, in his office in Black Mesa Central Complex, the administrator Wallace Breen sat at his desk. As he felt the entire Black Mesa Research Facility shudder beneath his feet, he leant back and smiled. Everything was going according to plan.

**Levels 6-7 (Sector G) Elevator #44786**

The lights went out.

Barney swore in the darkness. This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it, he thought.

"What's happening?" squealed Grahams.

Barney turned to face him. "I don't n-"

SNAP!

The elevator fell to the 7th floor. Grahams and the other scientist fell to the ground. "What was that?" he shrieked hysterically.

Barney turned his eyes to the ceiling and put his hand out to tell the scientists to stop. "Don't – move – a muscle," he said. He looked over at the other guard, who had panic in his eyes on the opposite side of the lift, and nodded to him. Very slowly, Barney moved towards the 7th floor doors, edging along the side. The elevator may be steel and nothing else, but the slightest jolt may sever whatever weak piece of machinery that was holding the lift stationary, sending everyone in it plummeting to their deaths.

Barney peered through the doors as he reached them. Outside, scientists were running around in a panic. Parts of walls were exploding, and bodies littered the corridor.

"What the hell happened?" asked Barney, as he began to try and prise open the doors. He turned his head to look at Grahams.

"You're asking _me_?" cried Grahams, but stopped when he realised this wasn't the time. "Well…I only have Level 4 Clearance, but this might have been the cause of a resonance cascade." When he saw the blank look on everyone's face, he continued.

"A resonance cascade is what occurs when a certain substance is placed in the anti-mass spectrometer while it is at unusually high power levels. I've no idea whose smart idea it was to conduct an experiment under those conditions, but if I get my hands on them I'll…"

Nobody on the lift found out what Grahams would do to the administrator, because at that moment there was a thump and he screamed and pointed down the corridor. All heads snapped round to see a scientist slide down the door, reminiscent of a cartoon, except the body left a trail of blood down the door. There was a shard of something sharp and metal in the back of his head.

Barney slowly moved backwards across the lift, only to see Grahams scramble away from the dead man in horror.

"No, don't!" cried Barney. "You'll-"

The elevator cable snapped. It was a long way down, and Barney screamed all the way.

**Level 7 (Sector C) Test Chamber**

Gordon leapt backwards from the anti-mass spectrometer as the analysis chamber exploded. The mechanical arms on three sides closed in, in an effort to contain what was about to happen.

"Oh dear!" cried the second scientist. "Gordon – get away from the – shutting down - attempting shut down -"

BANG!

Explosions rocked the test chamber.

"No!"

BANG!

A green glow emanated from the anti-mass spectrometer.

"It - I-It's not - It's not shutting down-"

A green bolt of lightning shot from the beige sphere in the machine through the window into the control room. It would be years before Gordon could forget his friend's dying screams. The control room exploded in a brilliant flash of orange.

The humming noise from the rotors grew louder. Suddenly Gordon felt very alone.

**Level 8 (Sector C) Anomalous Materials Operations Centre**

Gina and Colette were taken by surprise as the test lab shuddered. They heard the scientist upstairs speak again. "Oh dear!" he cried. "Gordon! Get away from the – shutting down – attempting shut down -"

Gina stumbled against the wall as the floor beside her exploded in a shower of sparks.

Gina and Colette looked up to hear the scientist's last words.

"It - I-It's not - It's not shutting down-"

The part of the anti-mass spectrometer below Colette exploded. The glass blew off it and bolts of lightning danced across the room.

A particularly large explosion along the roof brought an enormous pipe crashing down towards Colette.

"Look out!" Gina cried. Colette looked up and leapt backwards, but she was too slow. The pipe caught her on the side of the head before continuing through the upper level. The crowbar dropped from Colette's hand as she fell to the floor, unmoving.

"Colette!" Gina screamed. She ran towards the large pipe in an attempt to climb up to her fallen friend, just as a bolt of green lightning, similar to the one upstairs but not as powerful, shot across from the anti-mass spectrometer and connected with her chest. The bolt sent Gina sprawling across the chamber until she hit a wall, falling unconscious to the floor. More lightning bolts appeared, streaking across the room. The power was building.

**Level 7 (Sector C) Test Chamber**

Up above, Gordon cowered against a wall, wishing he would die soon, saving him from whatever would happen next.

The heart of the machine glowed green, and there were green flashes all over the chamber. Things were appearing in the flashes. As Gordon watched, there was a green flash from which something appeared – it fell several metres before there was another green flash, and it disappeared again. This was happening all over the chamber.

As green lightning shot out in all directions from the machine, Gordon brought his knees up closer to his chin and bowed his head. I'm just a scientist, he thought – why me?

Gordon was terrified as he heard snarls coming from the puffs of green. The humming noise coming from the rotors grew louder and louder; Gordon hid his head and wished for it all to stop.

And it did.

All the sounds of explosions and alarms stopped. The only thing he could hear was the sound of his own breathing. Slowly, Gordon opened his eyes to find…nothing. Absolutely nothing. Gordon was floating through utter nothingness. What happened to the test chamber, he thought. And where am I?

As Gordon stood up (or seeing as there was nothing to stand on, straightened out into what he assumed was an upright position) he heard a roaring noise - it got louder and louder until Gordon covered his ears with his hands. Just as he thought he couldn't take any more, everything flashed green and he was back in the test chamber.

Gordon panicked immediately and dived for cover beside the platform steps. Debris from the roof rained down around him. The room was entirely lit by the strange green glow, which Gordon now realised was coming from the energy bolt which had connected with the crystal and set this whole thing off. A klaxon blared somewhere near the control room window.

Gordon realised that he must try and stop whatever was happening, before anyone else was killed. He ran for the delivery cart to pull it back out of the machine, just as there was another flash, causing Gordon to disappear from the test chamber – and re-appear somewhere that was most definitely not on Earth.

He was in a canyon of some sort, although the rock walls looked spongy, and were grey, black and blue. Strange rock formations poked out of the ground all around Gordon, and what looked like black hairs (except for the fact that they were up to Gordon's waist and as thick as his arm) sprouted from alongside the river he was standing in.

It wasn't much of a river – more of a wide trickle of water that didn't even reach higher than Gordon's toes. But it this water, drinking from it were _things_ – things that could have come straight from Gordon's nightmares. Gordon turned and ran towards a cave nearby. As he ran, he didn't notice a small rock in his path, and he tripped. As he picked himself up, there was another green flash, and he was back in nothingness.

Gordon got to his feet and realised this _wasn't_ the blackness he had been suspended in a few moments ago – he could feel ground under his feet. He couldn't see it, and it was completely flat, but it was still ground. As Gordon looked around he could hear snarling noises nearby, and as a circle of light lit the ground in front of him, he fell over again in shock and screamed.

They were built like humans – 2 legs attached to the bottom of a torso, two arms attached to the top corners with a head in between them – but they looked nothing like humans. They were brown-skinned, and their backs were bent forward nearly 90 degrees. They had some sort of hard green material around their wrists and necks, a third arm jutting from their chest, hooves for feet and two claws for hands – but the most noticeable feature was the large red eye taking up most of the face.

Gordon was utterly terrified. He had never seen anything like these creatures before. What had he _done_? Again, he turned and ran from the things. But before he had taken ten steps, the light had gone out behind him and he was floating. The ground had disappeared beneath his feet and he was back in nothingness.

Before Gordon could even panic, he felt himself losing consciousness. Desperately, he struggled to stay awake, but it was no use. Gordon's eyes slid shut and he passed out.


End file.
